The present invention relates to the preparation of expanded pressure-welded passageway panels. More particularly, the invention relates to metal panels of the above type having utility in heat exchange applications wherein a heat exchange medium is circulated through said passageways.
As is known in the art, a sheet-like structure having internal hollow passageways is well adapted for use as a heat exchanger wherein a heat exchange medium is to be circulated throughout the structure. A method which is particularly well adapted for producing such devices is that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,690,002, issued Sept. 28, 1954, to Grenell, and known in the art as the ROLL-BOND.RTM. process. In the practice of the invention disclosed in the aforesaid patent, a structure is provided to which necessary connections may be made for the circulation of heat exchange media. As can be appreciated, said connections can vary in number and displacement to suit the end use of the heat exchange structure. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,822,151, issued Feb. 4, 1958, discloses a plate-like heat exchanger provided with a single connection for both entry and exit of fluid, and possesses particular utility for the circulation of refrigerants. Correspondingly, our co-pending application Ser. No. 573,953, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, illustrates a heat exchange structure provided with longitudinally opposed connections comprising, respectively, inlet and outlet portions provided to enable the continuous flow of heat exchange medium transporting absorbed solar energy.
It can be appreciated that the above method is broadly applicable and amenable to a wide variety of manufacturing procedures. Specifically, said method may be employed whereby individual premeasured panels are provided with a weld-inhibiting pattern to produce a single hollow article, or the size of the panel and the pattern may be so varied to provide a plurality of recurring patterns on a single panel which is later appropriately severed to provide individual final units. Even in the instance where a single panel-single pattern technique is employed, the final product may often need to undergo a sizing operation such as edge trimming to provide the final article in the desired linear dimensions.
In the past, this sizing or trimming operation has proved time-consuming, as the final article or panel must be appropriately aligned with the cutting means by a manual operation such as measurement usually with reference to a strip of tape or the like placed at a specific point on the panel. It can be seen that such a technique is prohibitive in the instance where a multitude of recurring units is provided on a unitary panel or strip, and it is attempted to automate the cutting or sizing operation.